ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISM ASSOCIATED WITH WHITE AND YELLOW GARRI AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN TO BOTH ANTIBIOTICS AND ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISM ASSOCIATED WITH WHITE AND YELLOW GARRI AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN TO BOTH ANTIBIOTICS AND ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the microorganisms associated with white and yellow garri and their susceptibility patterns to both antibiotics and antifungal agent. The study specifically isolate the bacteria present in white and yellow garri, after which the susceptibility pattern of the isolates to antibiotics and antifungal agents was determined. The result shows that the microbial count of white and yellow types of garri samples obtained from the market are within the limits of 10^-2 to 10^-4 cfug^-1 and are contaminated with coliforms and fungi to about the same order. The study also reveals that the garri samples were contaminated by diverse microbial spp mainly of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and  Micrococcus luteus. The bacteria and fungi isolated have different levels of antibiotics and fungi resistance to antibiotics and antifungal agents. The presence of susceptibility of bacterials and fungi in garri can pose a public health hazard when transferred to humans by consuming garri contaminated with the organisms; thus it is recommended  people especially students should be encouraged to reduce intake of garri without thorough thermal treatment to prevent food infections or intoxications. There is need for garri processors and retailers to maintain stricter personal hygiene and food safety consciousness in terms of using clean covered transparent containers as garri retailing containers so as to reduce direct and indirect contaminations by air-borne droplets and spores of the isolates in dust and air.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Garri is a traditional cassava flakes; in simple terms it is flour made from cassava (Mannihot esculenta) that is popular among the people of West Africa (Akindele et al., 2018). The production involves peeling of the cassava tuber, soaking in water for about 6 days followed by grinding into a pulp. Afterwards, the pulp is placed in a spongy bag under compression in order to strain out the water content before frying in a calabash-like pot (Adeyemo et al., 2018). The resulting flake from frying is known as Garri which can be used in processing various food delicacies as well as taken raw like cornflakes. This ready-to-eat property of Garri makes it a widely acceptable quick-fix meal (Orji et al., 2016). It should be noted that during the process of manufacturing, the pulp gets exposed to microbiological contamination. However, during the fermentation period, lactic acid bacteria involved in the natural fermentation is suggested to have antimicrobial properties that lower counts of the possible pathogenic bacterial contaminant (Adeyemo et al., 2018).

Lactic acid bacteria are a group of gram positive, catalase negative, non-spore forming and non-motile bacteria that produces lactic acid as a major end product of glucose fermentation. They are widely grouped into three: obligate homofermentative (for example Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarus), facultative heterofermentative (for example Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus curvatus) and obligate heterofermentative (Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus reuteri) based on their sugar fermentation profile (Buddhiman et al., 2008). Consequently, within LAB group, Lactobacillus have been identified as one of the most important in traditional fermented food that are mainly used in functional food production and as a starter culture in food fermentation. They are able to utilize the nutrient in the food matrix for fermentation, producing byproducts such as organic acids, aromatic compounds and antimicrobial peptides termed bacteriocin that limits growth of pathogenic organisms (Mamta et al., 2017).

Although there are several pathogenic bacteria which are food contaminants (Frantamico et al., 2007) that can also be found in garri, Escherichia coli is of great concern (Fossi and Ndjouenkeu, 2017). This is due to the fact that one of the most important causative agents of diarrhoeal disease has mainly been Escherichia coli (Frantamico et al., 2007) and the process of handling garri during production predisposes it to contamination by E. coli. Furthermore, it has been a serious public health issue worldwide; irrespe of the source of transmission either environmental or clinical E. coli are always of great health concern (Steven and David, 2014).

Thus, beneficial organisms such as Lactobacillus with documented safety profile possessing antagonistic potential against pathogens have received increased attention for their possible usage as probiotics in place of antibiotics (Servin, 2004). This study aims to isolate lactic acid bacteria within the garri matrix that has inhibitory effect on E. coli isolated from clinical settings.

1.1       Aims and objectives

1.1.1    Aim

To access the microorganism associated with white and yellow garri and their susceptibility patterns to both antibiotics and antifungal agent.

1.1.2    Objectives

• To isolate the bacteria present in white and yellow garri sold in Nasarawa market and to identify the fungi present in the garri sample
• To determine the susceptibility pattern of microorganism to both antibiotics and antifungal agents.